“I remember my name was read as the winner and I didn’t do anything,” Rideout says. “I was in shock.

“I was the only male finalist and I thought, ‘My chances are so slim, there’s no way.’ It was a real honor to win the grand prize.

“First place at the ATC is not a small amount of money,” he says. “It’s quite a help for any singer and a great advantage to a younger singer. I was very fortunate.”

This year, Rideout returns to the competition, which runs Jan. 15-19, as its artistic consultant. A tenor, he has gone on to international acclaim in opera and musical theater.

“I’m very excited for the group of singers we have this year, which is pretty diverse,” Rideout says. “The judges as well are just as diverse.”

This year’s judges include Rod Gilfry, a two-time Grammy nominee, singer and actor. Best-known as an opera singer, he also appears frequently in musical theater classics and has released several recordings.

Film, television and stage actress and singer Anita Gillette also has been chosen as a judge. She has appeared in such films as “Moonstruck” and “Shall We Dance”; on TV in “30 Rock,” “CSI,” “Frasier” and several other programs and game shows; and on Broadway in “Chapter Two,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Cabaret” and many more.

Emmy-winning composer Don Davis has written orchestral and chamber works for the concert stage, and also is a composer and conductor of film music, including the Matrix trilogies. His full-length three-act opera “Río de Sangre” premiered in October 2010 at the Florentine Opera Company in Milwaukee, Wis.

Bob Dorough is a jazz composer/instrumentalist/vocalist who created ABC’s “Schoolhouse Rock” series in the 1970s. He is known as “the only singer to record with Miles Davis” because of “Nothing Like You” and “Blue Xmas,” both recorded with Davis in 1962.

Voice teacher Michael Paul is based out of New York City, but also has a summer home on the island of Ischia in Italy where he presents an annual master class. He also will present a master class in Savannah.

“Three of the judges will give a concert on Friday before the finals,” Rideout says. “We’ll also have a master class which we will be offering four of our singers who do not progress to the finals.”

Tough competition

This year, nearly 100 singers applied.

“We are trying to expand our reach across the nation, and we had a couple of applications from Canada, even international,” Rideout says.

Only 32 quarterfinalists were chosen, and only one -- Jillian Pashke of Pooler -- i local. “Most are women,” Rideout says. “l always try to get more men involved, but they are slower to come to the forefront.

“We’re going to be working with the Johnny Mercer Society,” Rideout says. “We are reaching out to local schools, and several singers have expressed interest in doing outreach during that week.”

“There’s an application where each singer has to lay out nine songs,” Rideout says.

“There are three songs in each of three rounds and each song has to represent a different genre out of 14,” he says. “That means nine different genres on your application.”

Once they apply, the contestants are locked in to those song choices. “They are not allowed to change the order of songs or insert other songs,” Rideout says.

“The challenge is not only finding nine songs representing such different styles, but to look ahead and think if you might advance to the semifinals and finals, which songs are in good order for a program.

“You have to have good starting, middle and finish songs and present them in the best light to win,” he says. “You have to do it all beforehand and really hope your homework pays off. It’s a challenge because there are so many unknowns, variables you can’t count on.”

But at the same time, being able to choose the songs can be freeing and fun, Rideout says. “You’re just going straightforward with everything you know and if you end up winning, you can have confidence about where you’re going,” he says.

Applicants are judged on: technique, including tone quality, intonation, diction, articulation, vocal agility and flexibility; artistry, including projection of mood, stage presence and movement, appearance, communication and connection with the audience; performance and diversity of genres, including a representation of a wide variety of genres, originality of overall program, performance of varying genres, choice of arrangements and appropriate use of style in each genre.

Contestants supply recordings, which are judged by a committee. “I have assistants to help me process them,” Rideout says.

At stake is the first prize, the Oxnard Gold Medal Award, which carries a cash prize of $12,000.

The second prize is the Courtney Knight Gaines Silver Medal Award, worth $6,000. The third prize is the Patricia and Heyward Gignilliat Bronze Medal Award, worth $3,000.

The contestants also can compete for the Johnny Mercer Award, which offers $500 for the best performance of a Johnny Mercer song, and the People’s Choice Award, which offers $1,000 to a singer chosen by the audience.

This is the 20th year the competition has been held. “It’s a real milestone,” Rideout says. “This is our third year on our own.

“It’s a very exciting year,” Rideout says. “For me personally, it’s my first year on the other side of the competition. It’s a different perspective and I have no less passion for it.”

AMERICAN TRADITIONS SCHEDULE

Jan. 15 — Quarter Finals, Round 1

The first round of quarter finals takes place in two sessions at 5 and 8 p.m. at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension, 120 Bull St. Tickets are $35 per session.

Jan. 16 — Quarter Finals, Round 2

The second round of quarter finals takes place in two sessions at 5 and 8 p.m. at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension. Tickets are $35 per session.

Jan. 17 — Semifinals Round

The semifinals round takes place in sessions at 5 and 8 p.m. at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension. Tickets are $50 for each session.

Jan. 18 — Judges Concert

The judges will perform their best music at 8 p.m. at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension. Tickets are $35.

Jan. 19 — Finals

Five of the best singers in the country compete for the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and significant cash prizes at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 regular admission and $62 VIP.

Call 912-525-5050 for tickets to all the events. There is a package that includes tickets to all events plus reserved seating at the finals for $175.